3 Helpful Hotlines

U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-674-6854. Food-safety specialists answer all questions related to food preparation and storage from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern standard time (EST) Monday through Friday all year long and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The hotline is closed on all other Federal government holidays.

Butterball Turkey-Talk Line: 800-288-8372. A team of home economists and nutritionists is available to answer bird-related questions on weekdays November 3 to November 26 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. central standard time (CT). November 22 and 23 hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. From November 28 to December 23, the hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours on the weekend prior to Christmas, December 20 and December 21, are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Christmas Eve, hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hotline is closed on Christmas. You can also log on to Butterball.com or any of their social accounts to get cooking tips from the Turkey Talk-Line experts.

The Crisco Pie Hotline: 877-367-7438. Get advice from a National Pie Championship winner, among other pie pros, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Hours are extended 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST November 10 to November 26, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST December 15 to December 23. On Christmas Eve, the hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST.